Article of tableware



R. G. COWAN 2,024,995

ARTICLE 01 TABLEWARE Filed Aug. 6; 1934 3 Sheets-Sheet l ATTORNEYS,

Dec. 17, 1935.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA RE Dec. 17, 1935. R c w 2,024,995

ARTI LE 0F TABL Patented Dec. 17, 1935 UNiTED STATES PATENT OFFICEARTICLE OF TABLEWARE poration of New York Application August 6, 1934,Serial No. 738,662

Claims.

This invention relates to china, earthen, or porcelain, tableware andhas as an object, an article of tableware formed with modeledornamentation and so constructed that the surface of the ornamentationthereon will not become disfigured, or damaged, in the regular handlingof the ware, particularly when the dishes are placed in a stack andremoved therefrom.

The invention has as a further object, an article of tableware providedwith modeled ornamentation so formed, as an integral part of the dish,that the outlines of the ornamentation are sharp and distinct, whichoutline is not in any way affected by the shrinking of the ware duringmanufacture.

The invention has as a further object, an article of tableware providedwith modeled ornamentation, with the ornamentation so modeled that theware can be produced at substantially 20 the same cost as tablewarewithout modeled ornamentation.

The invention consists in the novel features and in the combinations andconstructions hereinafter set forth and claimed.

25 In describing this invention, reference is had to the accompanyingdrawings in which like characters designate corresponding parts in allthe views.

Figure 1 is a plan view of a plate embodying the features of theinvention.

Figure 2 is an enlarged, sectional view taken on lines 2- -2, Figure 1,

Figure 3 is an enlarged, sectional view taken on lines 33, Figure 1.

35 Figure 4 is a fragmentary, sectional view of the dish, similar tothat shown in Figure 2, and a contiguous portion of the forming mold.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary, sectional view of the dish, similar to thatshown in Figure 3, and a contiguous portion of the forming mold.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary plan view of a bowl shaped dish embodying thefeatures of the invention.

Figure '7 is an enlarged, sectional view taken on line 'l-'|, Figure 6.

Figure 8 is an enlarged, sectional view taken on line 8--8, Figure 6. v

The invention consists generally of an article of china, or porcelain,tableware, a plate or dish having a relatively flat bottom surfacesurrounded by an ascending wall portion, in combination with modeling ofsaid wall portion consisting of depressed portions, which depressedportions terminate toward the center of the dish at a shoulder or edge,and extend outwardly from said terminus in a slope merging with thesurface of the rim.

The plate, shown in Figures 1 to 5, consists of a substantially flatcentral discoidal portion I0 which is formed with an annular bead orfoot II on the lower side thereof at the outer edge of the discoidalportion 48. The structure of the plate also includes a comparativelynarrow, substantially flat rim l3 which, as here shown, is inclinedslightly upwardly relative to 10 the discoidal portion Ill. The rim I3is arranged concentric with the bottom of the plate, and is connectedtherewith by an ascending curved portion It. The upwardly curved concaveshallow wall I4, in conjunction with the bottom portion 15 I0, forms thefood well of the plate which is I surrounded by the rim l3. The rim I3is provided, at its periphery, with a bead or under rolled edge l5. Thisbead facilitates the handling of the plate, and also prevents chippingof the edge of the plate in the course of handling thereof. It is to beunderstood that the bottom portion [0, rim l3, bowl portion l4, and therolled edge I5, constitute an integral structure.

The plate thus far described is of maximum food capacity with a minimumover-all dimension for a plate provided with a rim. Occasionally, platesare formed without a rim surrounding the bowl portion, or food well, ofthe plate. Obviously, these plates have a greater food capacity forover-all dimension than do plates provided with outer marginal rims.However, such plates are not used generally for commercial service, asthe plate without the rim is comparatively difficult to handle. However,the plate 5 shown in Figures 1 to 5 is of maximum food capacity for aplate having a rim and is particularly adapted for hotel, Pullman car,and restaurant use, as it occupies a minimum amount of space for a givencapacity, which is an extremely desirable feature where meals, in suchplaces, are served on small tables, and table space is a desideratum.

The inner side of the rim, as distinguished from the bottom side, isprovided with modeling. In some articles of tableware, as fiat ware, theinner side faces upward. In other articles of tableware, as hollow ware,the inner side may be vertical, or inclined, or flared but slightly outof the vertical. My invention may be carried out equally satisfactorilyin both types of ware. The type shown in Figures 6 to 8 might beclassified as hollow ware. The dish consists of a fiat bottom surfaceIll adjoined outwardly by an upwardly curved wall l4 provided at itsouter edge with a bead l5. The dish is not provided with a rim portioncomplemental to the rim iii of the plate shown in Figures 1 to 5. Inthis instance, the modeling is formed in the upper portion of the wall14 adjacent the bead l5.

' Usually, the decorative modeling extends, or continues, entirelyaround the rim. In the illustrated exemplification, of the invention,Figures 1 to 5, the inner or upper side of the rim is formed in innerand outer concentric annular zones or bands designated A --B. The innerzone A is substantially'plain or flat. The outer zone B is modeled orformed with depressions which decrease in depth toward the outeredge ofthe rim,

thus providing abrupt shoulders at the inner deeper ends of thedepressions and at the outer 'edge of the inner zone A, said shouldersfacing toward the outer edge of the rim. The top surfaces of the raisedportions in the outer zone left by the depressions} are, at the most, ashigh as the plane of the inner zone A, or in other words, are not higherthan the said plane. The modeling is for the purpose of providing anadvantageous form of intaglio ornamentation, and because of itsmechanical or physical arrangement, i. e., the relation of the innerzone A to the outer zone B, the higher portions of the modeling areprotected against excessive wear in the washing, stacking, unstacking,and other more or less rough handling.

The modeling, or ornamentation, of the inner or upper wall or rim of thearticle thus consists generally, of depressed portions which terminatetoward the center of the article at a more or less abrupt shoulder oredge facing toward the circumferential edge of the article, and. whichextend outwardly from said shoulder in a slope merging into the outer ortop surface of the rim.

In Figures 1 to 5, the rim i3 is provided with a suitable ornamentationor design which, as here shown, consists of a series of triangularmotifs l6 arranged about the rim of the plate with the bases of thetriangles being toward the axis of the dish, and with smaller motifs I1interposed between the triangles 16. It is to be understood that any oneof many suitable designs may be tation painted upon the ware.

cost in manufacture.

used.

The manner in which the design is formed constitutes an importantfeature of this invention. The design is modeled, or carved, in the riml3 and forms an integral part thereof. Modeled ornamentation isfrequently preferred to ornamen- However, heretofore modeledornamentation was accompanied by decided disadvantages. The samedisadvan tage, in varying extent, is present in hollow ware, as bowls,especially when the modeling is on the inner side of the rim. One of thechief disadvantages in modeled ornamentation has been the wearing off ofthe raised or high points of the ornamentation. This results fromsliding the dishes over one another, or one into and out of the other,in stacking and unstacking, and in the general handling of the ware.

Another disadvantage has been the fact that modeled ornamentation isaccompanied by higher The restaurant and hotel trade have desired flatware with modeled ornamentation but, due to the fact thatsuch ware, aspreviously made, soon became disfigured, and the cost of such Wars wasso great, it has never been used extensively for hotel and restaurantuse. By my invention, I am able to produce fiat were with modeledornamentation at a manufacturing cost not higher, and in fact somewhatlower than the cost of the standard fiat ware having paintedornamentation. Also, by the unique manner in whichthe ornamentation ismodeled, it does not become worn, or damaged, and the ware will give thesame, and often greater, length of service as the ordinary ware with thepainted ornamentation.

Due to manufacturing difficulties such fiat ware, as has been providedwith modeled ornamenta-. tic-n, has been formed generally with the orna-10 mentation in relief. The volume of business on such ware has beenextremely limited, due to the fact that it is practical only fordomestic use where the ware is carefully handled and stored.

As is well known to those skilled in, the art, porcelain and china wareis formed, or made, on molds. These molds are made of plaster of Paris,and the upper surface of the mold is formed complemental to the uppersurface of the dish. Or, in other words, the dish is originally formedin upside down position on the mold. The lower side of the dish isformed by placing a mass of clay on the mold and revolving the mold andsimultaneously, bringing a forming tool in contact with the lower sideof the dish while it revolves. The dish so formed, from wet plastic clayon the plaster of Paris mold, is set aside until the dish substantiallydries out. The total shrinkage of the dish is about one-seventh of itsdiameter, and a substantial part of the shrinkage takes place while theplate is drying on the mold. The dish shrinks radially inward.

It is obvious that in the case of ornamentation in relief, thecorresponding configuration would be depressed in the mold and duringdrying and shrinking of the plate, the raised ornamentation on the rimof the plate would necessarily have to be dragged out of and over thesurface of the mold. It so happens that the clay material, from whichtableware is made, contains a strong abrasive material which quicklywears away the plaster of Paris mold, and renders the ornamentaldepression therein obscure and disfigured.

The same wearing effect on the mold is also produced when theornamentation on the plate is formed in intaglio, in which case the moldwill be formed with projections complemental to the depressions of theintaglio ornamentation in the plate, with the result that the radialshrinkage of the plate causes the surface of the plate todrag'50 overthe projections on the mold and quicly destroy them.

By the structure of my ware, many more dishes may be obtained from theone mold before the mold must be discarded, By my invention, I producedishes with modeling, or carving, on the surface of the rim which issuch that the raised portions of the model surface are in the generalplane of the inner or upper surface of the rim, and are outlined bydepressed portions of the modeled surface, which depressed portions havetheir inward terminus at a shoulder, or edge, contiguous to the raisedportions, and toward'the axis of the dish. The depressed portions extendfrom their inner terminus, or shoulder, toward the outer edge of the rimand merge with the It will be understood that the modeled surfaces maylie anywhere from nearly cylindrical surfaces, through various angles ofconoidal surfaces, to approximately flat surfaces.

Referring to the drawings, Figures 1 to 5, the triangles l6 and themotives I? are modeiedin the rim is of the plate with the surfaces ofthe triangles and motives arranged in substantially the same plane asthe surface of the rim l3, see

Figure 3. The depressed portions [8, outlying the triangles I andmotives ll, are so formed and arranged that the deeper portions thereofextend toward the axis of the dish, see Figures 2 and 3.

The mold I9, for the particular plate shown, is formed as indicated inFigures 4 and 5.

In Figure 5, the raised portion 20 of the mold forms the depression l8between the sides of the triangles l6 and is formed with a sharplyinclined edge or shoulder 2| which forms the inward terminus 22 of thedepression. The outward side 23 of the projection 25 gradually declinesand merges with the surface of the rim l3 at the top of the innermostmotive H, as at 24.

The projection 25 on the mold forms the recess 26 arranged centrally ofthe group of motives H. The projection is formed with a sharply inclinededge or shoulder 21 which forms the inner terminus 28 of the depression.The outer side 29 of the projection 25 gradually declines and mergeswith the surface of the rim |3 at the top of the outermost motive H, asat 30. It will be observed that the projections 20, 25, are formed insimilar manner. That is, the inner sides of the projections extend at arelatively sharp angle, and the outer sides are inclined and graduallymerge with the surface of the rim |3, It is to be understood that themold I9 is also provided with projections which form depressions alongthe sides of the triangular motive I6 and between the smaller motivesll. These projections are indicated by dotted lines, Figures 2 and 3,and are formed in the same manner as the projections 20, 25. As shown inFigure 4, the mold i9 is also provided with a slight projection 35formed similar to the projections 20, 25, and acts merely to define theinner edge of the bead |5 on the top side of the plate.

Referring to Figures 4 and 5, it will be observed that as the platedries and shrinks radially inward the inner shoulders or edges of thedepressions 22, 28 move away from the sharply inclined walls 2|, 2'! ofthe mold. Due to the fact that the walls 23, 29 of the mold are formedon a gradual incline, the outer portions of the depressions pass overthe projections 20, 24, without seriously abrading the same.Accordingly, the projections 20, 25, are not damaged by the shrinkage ofthe plate, with the result that the depressions are always formed with asharp outline, and particularly with a sharp deep inner shoulder oredge.

Referring to Figures 6 to 8 inclusive, the modeling formed in the wallportion |4 consists of a series of scallops 40 with their bases, orchords, arranged toward the bottom surface Ill. The scallops 40 areadjoined on either side by smaller scallops 4|, 42. The surface of thelarge scallop 40 extends in the same plane as the inner side of the wallportion I4, as indicated in Figure 7. The surfaces of the scallops 4|are slightly depressed, or recessed, adjacent the edge of the largescallop 40, as at 43. Also, the surfaces of the small scallops 42 arerecessed adjacent the outer edge of the scallops 4|, as at 44.

In other words, the outer edges of the scallops 4|, 42 are in the sameplane as the surfaces of the large scallops 4d. The inner surface of thewall 14 between the groups of scallops is recessed to form a series ofconcentric step portions 56, 5|, as indicated in Figure 8. Thesedepressions are formed with abrupt shoulders 52, 53, respectively, andwhich shoulders are arranged toward the bottom surface of the dish. Thebottom surface of the depressions 50, 5|, incline gradually outwardlyand forwardly, and merge with the surface of the inner wall I4 as at 54,55.

The recess 50 is flanked, or 'adjoined, on each end by the scallops 42,and the depressions 5| are adjoined at each end by the outer edges ofthe scallops 40 and 4|.

It will be observed that the same effect is carried out in connectionwith the modeling on the dish shown in Figures 6 to 8, as in the plateFigures 1 to 5.

The form of modeling herein described also posseses an appreciableadvantage in connection with application of coloring, or tint, to themodeled surface. The coloring matter is applied to the modeled surface.The modeled surface is then wiped, removing the coloring matter from thehigh portions of the modeled surface, and permitting it to remain in thedepressed portions.

A particularly pleasing effect is obtained by this simple process, dueto the fact that the coloring material is entirely removed from thesurface of the rim, or wall of the dish, with the coloring materialremaining in the depressions, and with an appreciable deeper color, orshade, adjacent the sharp edge or shoulder, and gradually becominglighter as the depressed portions merge with the surface of the dish. Toobtain this effect on a flat surface would consume an appreciable amountof time by a skilled decorator. It is also of importance that thecoloring matter does not become worn, or disfigured, due to the factthat it is on the bottom of the depressions where it is protected fromcontact when the dishes are stacked, and otherwise handled, particularlyin hotel and restaurant use.

What I claim is: 1. An article of china or porcelain tableware, a dishhaving a relatively flat bottom surface surrounded by a rim portion, incombination with ornamentation of said rim consisting of depressedportions, which depressed portions terminate toward the center of theplate at a shoulder or edge and extend outwardly from said terminus ina. slope merging with the surface of the rim. 45

2. An article of tableware, a dish or bowl having a bottom food surfacesurrounded by an ascending wall portion, in combination withornamentation of said wall consisting of depressed portions, whichdepressed portions terminate toward the bottom surface at a shoulder oredge and extend upwardly from said terminus in a slope merging with thesurface of the wall.

3. An article of china or porcelain tableware,

a dish or bowl having a foodwell surrounded by a rim with the surface ofthe rim inclined upwardly in relation to the bottom of the food well, incombination with modeling or carving of the surface of the rim such thatthe relatively raised portions of the modeled surface are in the planeof the surface of the rim and are adjoined outwardly by relativelydepressed portions of the modeled surface, which depressed portions havetheir inner terminus at a shoulder or edge contiguous to said raisedportions and toward the 6 axis of the dish, the depressed portionsextending from their inner terminus toward the outer edge of the rim andmerging with the surface of said rim.

4. A molded article of china or earthen flat ware, or tableware,consisting of a dish having a flat bottom, a rim having its upper sideformed with inner and outer concentric 'annular zones, the surface ofthe inner zone being substantially plain and flat, and the outer zonebeing formed with depressions or modeling below the plane of the surfaceof the inner zone, the depressions merging with the outer edge of therim and the inner terminus of the depressed portions forming shouldersat the outer edge of the inner zone and facing the outer edge of therim, the top surfaces of the modeling being not higher than the plane ofthe surface of the'inner zone.

5. An article of china, porcelain or earthen tableware, a dish or bowlhaving a food well surrounded by a rim; in combination with modeling orcarving of the surface of the rim consisting of areas relatively raisedand depressed, the relatively raised areas being in no case higher thanstages to the outermost depressed area which 10 terminates outwardly bymerging with the outer edge of said rim.

R. GUY COWAN.

